The next round of negotiations, based on the stall-proceed method which Saddam perfected (well he got away with it for over 12 years) seems to also be the MO of Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Stall the UN inspectors, for 3 years and counting, while continuing to refine uranium for nuclear warhead capability. The Russian 'deal' being accepted by Iran is the best and probably last hope for Iran to come to its senses and not provoke international sanctions, or more severe consequences. But no one is betting that that will happen. Not the IAEA or the White House, or Russia itself.
"It is regrettable and a matter of concern that the uncertainties related to the scope and nature of Iran's nuclear program have not been clarified after three years of intensive agency verification," said the report, obtained by Reuters.
Translation: Iran fooled us and evaded us so well for 3 years that we don't know what they're up to.
It said Iran had begun testing a cascade of 20 centrifuges at its Natanz pilot uranium-enrichment plant, pressing ahead with efforts to purify nuclear fuel.
Iran had also begun substantial renovations of Natanz's system handling UF6 gas, which is converted by centrifuges into enriched atomic fuel. It said the cascade of 20 centrifuge machines began to undergo vacuum testing on February 22.
The report came as the West reacted with deep skepticism to a tentative Russia-Iran deal on uranium enrichment intended to help resolve the dispute. The head of Iran's nuclear program said on Sunday that Tehran had reached a "basic" agreement with Moscow on a proposed joint venture to enrich uranium in Russia. But Russian officials were afterwards reported as saying Iran had so far made no commitment to renounce home-grown nuclear enrichment, as demanded by Russia and the major Western powers.
At the crux of Iran's argument is that they consider any treaty or agreement signed prior to Ahmadinejad's election to be void if they want it to be. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is one that he refuses to recognize.
Russia to Iran: Stop Enrichment
3:47:27 PM
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